The defense on Monday backed the move by senator-judges to exclude a prosecution witness who testified on the firearms owned by Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband. Atty. Manases Carpio, arguing that his testimony was irrelevant to the allegations of ill-gotten wealth in the impeachment case.

Defense lawyer Carlo Joaquin Narvasa said the defense saw no need for Police Maj. Jericson Sangalang of the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) to testify further, even as the prosecution provided the court with a list of the firearms registered to Duterte and Carpio.

“Even if we were given time to peruse any list that the good major will be presenting, we believe that this witness is irrelevant. So we have the same reservation as the good senators,” Narvasa told the impeachment court.

Narvasa said the defense had yet to receive a copy of the list when Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero asked if it would stipulate to the firearms records after being given time to review them.

Escudero had indicated that he was inclined to end Sangalang’s testimony. He questioned the value of the firearms evidence to the prosecution’s broader effort to establish Duterte’s unexplained or ill-gotten wealth, noting that Sangalang’s valuation could amount only to about P7 million.

“I am headed towards excluding this witness,” he said.

Even that amount, Escudero said, would fall within Duterte’s declared net worth of about P88 million in her latest Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

“We find this witness not as convincing with respect to ill-gotten wealth as others would be,” Escudero said, citing the relatively small value involved.

Some senator-judges also raised a similar concern. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said owning firearms was not unusual among senators and questioned whether the evidence carried enough weight in the case.

“Many of us, if not all members of the Senate, are firearm owners. I don’t think it carries that much weight. We’re looking for the bigger evidence” Zubiri said.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo questioned the connection between Duterte’s firearms and the allegation of hidden or unexplained wealth.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said he shared his colleagues’ reservations, particularly over whether Sangalang would testify to anything “major” and whether the firearms were significant to the case.

The prosecution had presented Sangalang to establish the registration and the value of firearms linked to Duterte and Carpio. Sangalang testified that the values on Duterte’s certification were based on the FEO’s market survey of current prices rather than the acquisition cost of the firearms.

Escudero asked if the value of a firearm would matter if it had been given to Duterte.

Sangalang said such a transfer would be considered a donation but the FEO’s records showed no such donations were made to Duterte.

House Prosecutor Ysabel Zamora, who was handing the direct examination, disputed Escudero’s observation that the firearms did not need to be separately identified in the SALN.

Citing SALN guidelines, Zamora said registered personal property “such as but not limited to motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, and firearms” must be individually declared.